#204. Student Spotlight: Why Overlearning Is Holding You Back: Neroli Lacey’s Journey to Publishing Success

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#204. Student Spotlight: Why Overlearning Is Holding You Back: Neroli Lacey’s Journey to Publishing Success

2d ago 25:31

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After years of collecting every writing craft book imaginable and studying with renowned editors, Neroli Lacey discovered that too much knowledge was actually keeping her stuck—until she learned to implement instead of accumulate.

Today I'm chatting with Neroli Lacey, author of The Perfumer's Secret (a Pulitzer Prize Finalist, International Book Awards Winner, and National Indie Excellence Award Winner), about how focusing on implementation over information finally helped her transform her messy manuscript into an award-winning Women’s Fiction novel.

In this episode, you'll hear us talk about things like:

[05:55] Why owning "every craft book imaginable" and studying with top editors still left her with an unfinished novel (and the overwhelm that comes from trying to follow multiple systems at once)
[07:30] The three foundational shifts that moved Neroli from scattered studying to focused execution—and finally finishing her first draft
[10:55] Why she chose hybrid publishing over traditional (and what that two-year process actually looked like)
[13:50] How a self-proclaimed introvert built a 3,000-person newsletter by focusing on book recommendations instead of writing updates
[22:40] Neroli’s advice for aspiring authors who are working on finishing their first book—"You don't have to know what you're doing—you take the first step and the path appears."

If you've been collecting craft books but struggling to finish your novel, Neroli's story will resonate. Press play to discover why implementation beats accumulation every time!

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Chapters

1. #204. Student Spotlight: Why Overlearning Is Holding You Back: Neroli Lacey’s Journey to Publishing Success (00:00:00)

2. The Path Appears As You Begin (00:01:04)

3. From Cold Minnesota to French Inspiration (00:03:53)

4. Tried Everything, Still Struggling (00:07:00)

5. Finding the Right Genre Mix (00:09:29)

6. The Publishing Journey (00:12:16)

7. Marketing Success for an Introvert (00:15:10)

8. Craft, Community, and Courage (00:20:44)

9. Free Book Offer and Closing (00:24:46)

218 episodes

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